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Numbers 3:23-38

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23 1The clans of the Gershonites were to camp behind the tabernacle on the west,
24 with Eliasaph, the son of Lael as chief of the fathers' house of the Gershonites.
25 And the 2guard duty of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting involved 3the tabernacle, 4the tent with 5its covering, 6the screen for the entrance of the tent of meeting,
26 7the hangings of the court, 8the screen for the door of the court that is around the tabernacle and the altar, and 9its cords--all the service connected with these.
27 To Kohath belonged the clan of the 10Amramites and the clan of the Izharites and the clan of the Hebronites and the clan of the Uzzielites; these are the clans of the Kohathites.
28 According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were 8,600, keeping guard over the sanctuary.
29 The clans of the sons of Kohath were to camp on the south side of the tabernacle,
30 with 11Elizaphan the son of Uzziel as chief of the fathers' house of the clans of the Kohathites.
31 And their guard duty involved 12the ark, 13the table, 14the lampstand, 15the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which the priests minister, and 16the screen; all the service connected with these.
32 And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest was to be chief over the chiefs of the Levites, and to have oversight of those who kept guard over the sanctuary.
33 To Merari belonged the clan of the Mahlites and the clan of the Mushites: these are the clans of Merari.
34 Their listing according to the number of all the males from a month old and upward was 6,200.
35 And the chief of the fathers' house of the clans of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They were to camp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36 17And the appointed guard duty of the sons of Merari involved the 18frames of the tabernacle, 19the bars, 20the pillars, the bases, and all their accessories; all the service connected with these;
37 also 21the pillars around the court, with their bases and 22pegs and 23cords.
38 Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, 24guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect[a] the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death.
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Numbers 3:23-38 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO NUMBERS 3

In this chapter an account is given of the genealogy of the priests and Levites, and of the gift of the Levites to the priests, of the numbering of them, and the service they were to perform; and first of the priests, the sons of Aaron, Nu 3:1-4; and then of the Levites, as given unto them, to wait upon them, and assist them, Nu 3:5-10; and these were taken instead of the firstborn, Nu 3:11-13; and ordered to be numbered, which was done accordingly by their families, Nu 3:14-20; and the sum of each is given, and the particular work assigned to them; of the Gershonites, Nu 3:21-26; of the Kohathites, Nu 3:27-32; of the Merarites, Nu 3:33-38; the sum total of them is given, Nu 3:39; then the firstborn of the children of Israel, from a month old are ordered to be numbered, and were, Nu 3:40-43; and these appearing to be more in number than the Levites, by two hundred seventy three a direction is given that the two hundred seventy three should be redeemed at the rate of five, shekels apiece, and the money paid to Aaron and his sons, Nu 3:44-48; which was accordingly done, Nu 3:49-51.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 24

Footnotes 1

The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.